BUF to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Buffalo Niagara International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 296 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at BUF or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Buffalo (BUF) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 66% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 4.9% were cancelled, and 15% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (75% on time); Envoy Air was the least (60%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (88% on time); around 4pm did worst (45%).
- Thursday was the most reliable day to fly (71% on time) and Monday the least (59%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (53%).
Which airline is most on time from BUF to DCA?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 100% | 0.0% | 0 min | 0.0% | 6 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 75% | 1.6% | 17 min | 7.1% | 244 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 64% | 5.3% | 48 min | 17.9% | 695 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 60% | 7.9% | 31 min | 17.9% | 189 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am87%298 flights
- 6am88%65 flights
- 11am75%88 flights
- 12pm53%273 flights
- 2pm74%66 flights
- 4pm45%38 flights
- 5pm49%304 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday59%7.9% cancelled
- Tuesday69%5.5% cancelled
- Wednesday68%4.3% cancelled
- Thursday71%3.1% cancelled
- Friday61%6.5% cancelled
- Saturday70%3.4% cancelled
- Sunday64%3.6% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft53%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion24%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)21%
- Extreme weather2%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather73%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion23%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)4%
- Security0%
BUF to DCA: common questions
- How often are BUF to DCA flights on time?
- 66% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Buffalo to Washington cancelled?
- 4.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (56 of 1,134).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 38 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 108 min behind schedule on average, and 15.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at BUF?
- Flights on this route spent 25 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to BUF — 64% on time
More flights from Buffalo
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: BUF → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.